Learning How to Blog ~ Landscaping for Food in Schools

ETEC 551 Blog Project by Linda Nutile

I think schools in California should do a better job at teaching students where their food originates.

One way schools could do this is by re-landscaping campuses -- many of which contain large, water-needy grass lawns -- to include edible plants. I am not alone in this thinking.  Indeed, in her talk Pam Warhurst also argues for additional use for gardens in public areas.

Here is a video where Ms. Warhurst explains her views:



The reason I feel so adamant about importance of teaching gardening skills at a young age is based on my experience as a public school teacher in a large city.  Many students in my 6th grade classroom live in apartments and do not have a front yard or backyard or any other suitable place they can garden at their house. Some students' faces light up with joy when I tell them we are going to learn about gardening at school.  Other students have stories about a neighbor or grandparent who is an avid gardener. Gardening conjures memories of fun and even a evokes a sense of maturity. But many students lack the opportunity to participate in this activity directly at their home.  When students have hands-on experience with growing fruits and vegetables at school, it makes real the discussions we have about the current severe drought we are experiencing in Southern California and its impact on farms in the Central Valley. It makes tangible the concerns over polluted atmospheres, such as the frequently discussed smog problem in Beijing.

For these reasons, it makes sense to re-think how our campus' are landscaped.  Many schools are unable to add space for a school garden, however, they could remove turf or re-purpose dirt piles which line many hallways in our open-air schools to create small school gardens.  Areas could be adopted by classrooms -- much like areas of our highways are adopted by organizations and maintained by their volunteers.

I hope you will consider or advocate for these changes at your local schools.

For more information on benefits of gardening at school, please read:

(1) Landscaping Ideas for School Lawns:

(2) The effects of school gardens on students and schools: Conceptualization and considerations for maximizing healthy development

(3) School gardens: can a hands-on teaching tool affect students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetables?

References:

Lineberger, S. & Zajicek, J. (2000). School gardens: can a hands-on teaching tool affect students' attitudes and behaviors regarding fruit and vegetables?. Retrieved from http://horttech.ashspublications.org/content/10/3/593.short

Ozer, E. (2013). The effects of school gardens on students and schools: Conceptualization and considerations for maximizing healthy development. Retrieved from http://heb.sagepub.com/content/34/6/846.short 

Reynolds, L. (2012). Landscaping Ideas for School Lawns. Retrieved from http://www.gardenguides.com/84578-landscaping-ideas-school-lawns.html

Warhurst, P. (2012). How we can eat our landscapes. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst_how_we_can_eat_our_landscapes